Short-circuiting device



April 14, 1942; J. CATANIA 2,279,655

SHORT-CIRCUITING DEVICE Filed NOV. 25, 1940 Josef/2 Ua anz'a Patented Apr. 14, 1942 orice Claims.

This invention relates to a short-circuiting device and has relation more particularly to a device of this kind to be used in connection with a struction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved shortcircuiting device whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan of a short-circuiting device constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention, the shooting cable being in fragment;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view partly in plan and partly in section of the device with the top memher as illustrated in Figure 1 removed;

Figure 3 is a View partly in section and partly in elevation taken lengthwise through the device, the line of section being substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view in inside elevation of the top plate as illustrated in Figure 1 unapplied with the coacting latch member in fragment;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of the outer end portion of one of the contact or battery prongs as herein disclosed.

My improved device as herein embodied comprises two elongated and relatively broad members A and B. These members A and B are of substantially the same configuration and dimensions and while relatively thick possess a material degree of flexibility. These members A and B are also formed from a rubber compound or other suitable material non-conductive of electricity.

The members A and B are in overlying relation and at the rear portions thereof are securely held together by the coacting headed members I and nuts 2. The headed members i in the present embodiment of the invention constitute bolts and each of these bolts is insertible through marginal portions of the overlying members'A and B with the head thereof coacting with the outer face of one of the members, such as A, and the nut 2 threading thereon coacting with the outer face of the other member, such as B. As herein disclosed, these members I are four in number and are so arranged as to assure a tight and firm connection between the members A and B at the rear extremities thereof but allowing the forward portions of the members A and B to be readily flexed apart or separated when desired.

As is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the separating portions of the overlying members A and B continue along the greater part of the device. These free or separated portions of the members A and B, as herein disclosed, are

firmly maintained in closed relation and against separation by a lat-ch L. This latch L is T U- shaped in cross section to snugly straddle the forward or free end portions of the members A and.

Bto hold the same against relative separation or flexing.

One of the side flanges 3 of the latch L is provided at one end with the extending arm 4 which is pivotally connected, as at 5, to one of the members, such as A. By this means the latch L is supported for swinging movement and the arm 4 is of such a length as to have the latch L free of holding engagement with the members A and'B when the latch L is at the limit of its outward swinging movement as determined by contact of the inner end of the intermediate portion 6 of the latch L with the adjacent-forward or free end of the member, such as A, to which the latch is pivotally connected.

The rear or inner end portions or the members A and B at substantially the transverse centers thereof are provided with the relatively short and longitudinally disposed registering grooves l in which is received an end portion of a .blasting cable C. The inner face of the member B at its, rear portion is provided with a transversely disposed channel 8 extending beyond opposite sides of the groove 1 in said member B and extending within and substantially combined within such channel 8 are the substantially bared portions of the conductors 9 within the cable C. These extended or substantially bared portions of the conductors 9 are suitably connected, as at ill, to end portions of the elongated contact prongs H. The inner portions of these prongs H are substantially snugly received within the channels l2 extending inwardly of the member B substantially at right angles to the channel 8.

The inner face of the memberB is formed to provide in alignment with each of the channels l2 and with each other a pair of longitudinally spaced and relatively large pockets or depressions [4 with the surface 15 between these pockets or member B and the extremities of the plate S are outwardly offset to provide contact plates I8 sub-- stantially flush with the inner face of the member B. These plates l8 are provided thereacross with the corrugations or beads l9 which snugly engage within the channels Hi. The outer end portions of the prongs l I are snugly engaged with the grooves afforded by the corrugations or beads NJ as clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

The inner face of the member A is provided with the pockets or depressions 20 which register with the pockets or depressions M of the member B when the members A and B are in their normally overlying relation.

Embedded within the member A and extending transversely thereof is a shunt plate P and the extremities of this plate P are offset to provide the contact plates 2| substantially flush with the inner face of the member A and which plates 2| have direct contact with the plates I8 when the members A and B are in their closed or contacting assembly as particularly illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. When the two members A and B are disposed in side by side relation as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 the prongs I I will be completely covered or enclosed and will be in electrical contact with the plates P and S and, therefore, will be electrically coupled together. When the device is to be put into use the latch L is swung outwardly to release the members and the members being formed of resilient material can be flexed apart or separated to sufficiently expose the free ends of the prongs so that they may be brought into contact with the opposite poles or terminals of a battery. Such contact of the prongs cannot, however, be accomplished until the latch L has been released and the members have been separated a substantial distance at their unjoined ends.

It is also to be noted that the members A and B are of such dimensions as to effectively enclose the prongs II therebetween while the free portions thereof are of sufficient length to allow said free portions to be separated a distance sufficient to release the prongs H from the contact plates 18 and to allow said prongs to be readily engaged with a battery or other suitable source of electrical energy when it is desired to make the cable C efiective.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a short-circuiting device constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the 1" convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this.

reason I do not wish to beunderstood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A short-circuiting device for the prongs of a shooting cable comprising two overlying members of a material non-conductive of electricity, means connecting the rear portions of said members, the forward portions of said members being readily separated, the prongs of the shooting cable being entirely enclosed between the members, and a short-circuiting plate carried by the inner face of one of the members and arranged to engage both prongs when the said forward portions of the members are in unseparated relation.

- 2. A short-circuiting device for the prongs of a shooting cable comprising two overlying members of a material non-conductive of electricity, means connecting the rear portions of said members, the forward portions of said members being readily separated, the prongs of the shooting cable being entirely enclosed between the members, a short-circuiting plate carried by the inner face of one of the members and arranged to engage both prongs when the said forward portions of the members are in unseparated relation, and releasable means for holding the said forward portions of the members in unseparated relation.

3. A short-circuiting device for the prongs of a shooting cable comprising two overlying members of a material non-conductive of electricity, means connecting the rear portions of said members, the forward portions of said members being readily separated, the prongs of the shooting cable being entirely enclosed between the members, and a short-circuiting plate carried by the inner face of one of the members and adapted to engage the prongs when the members are unseparated, the connected end portions of the members having an opening to receive an extremity of the shooting cable to which the prongs are connected.

4. A short-circuiting device for the prongs of a shooting cable comprising two overlying members of a material non-conductive of electricity, means securely connecting end portions of the members, the opposite end portions of said members being free for separation, shunt plates disposed transversely of the members, said shunt plates having contact plates substantially flush with the inner faces of .the members, the contact plates of one member engaging the contact plates of the second member when said members are in unseparated relation, the contact plates of one member being provided thereacross with grooves in which the prongs are received.

5. A short-circuiting device for the prongs of a blasting cable, comprising two members having fiat contacting faces, said members being formed of electrical insulation material, means securing the members together at one end of the device, said material being of a flexible character where by the other ends of the members may be readily separated by flexing or bending the same, means for detachably securing the said other ends of the members together, a pair of contact prongs disposed in spaced relation between the members in a recess form in said opposing faces, the prongs being secured between the secured ends of the members, electric current conducting means leading to each of the prongs at the secured ends thereof, said prongs being entirely encased between the members when the latter are unseparated, and means carried by one of the members for electrically coupling the prongs together when the members are unseparated.

JOSEPH CATANIA. 

